The Worst Mic Worker in the Attitude Era (1992-2000)

White Division: Tom Clark vs. David Conrad

Worst Mic Worker in the Attitude Era (1992-2000)

After being given the first topic in this new little competition here on Bleacher Report, I decided to dust off some of the old videotapes for potential ideas.

Ah, the Attitude era. The rise of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. The crazy antics of Degeneration X. The Undertaker losing the silly purple gloves and getting very dark and very demonic. The Monday Night War, bringing the best, and sometimes, the worst, out of the house that McMahon built. Those were the days.

So, I sat down and watched, and reminisced. Searching for that one particular WWE Superstar who just didn’t have what it takes, it occurred to me that maybe this would be harder than I thought. After all, the top guys of the company stepped it up and delivered like no one else could.

Even the mid-card workers became stars in their own right.

WCW may have had a hand in their own demise, but make no mistake, the World Wrestling Federation inflicted a lot of damage.

I was near the end of the second tape of Attitude era WWE programming, and suddenly there he was. Black pants, white taped wrists and the familiar flat top hair cut and beard.

Hello, Steve Blackman, I forgot all about you.

Of all the talent that helped elevate the WWF past its competition during the Attitude era, Steve Blackman was the least memorable on the mic.

To be honest, it was a little painful to listen to him. He spoke so plain, so straight forward, in a somewhat conversational, often robotic tone. It was actually hard to tell if he was even in character when he cut a promo.

There was no emotion in his words, and more often than not it sounded like he was forcing it. The problem is, if you don’t feel it, then neither will the audience.

When Steve Austin stared into the camera and told the world he was the toughest S.O.B. in the WWF, you believed him. There was absolutely no doubt about it.

As Triple H stated his case for being the best ever, even the most jaded fan began to believe. Hunter spoke with so much passion and intensity, and like Austin, then preceded to back up every claim he made.

Mick Foley’s transformation into Mankind was not just believable because of the mask and his feud with Undertaker. His words are what sealed the deal. When you looked into his eyes, you really became convinced that this man had literally lost his mind.

When Steve Blackman spoke, well…yeah, I got nothing.

Call it inexperience, call it nervousness, call it what you will, the fact is, he just didn’t believe what he was saying. There was no fire in his eyes, no power behind his voice.

The Rock forced everyone in the arena to pay attention to him because of the way he spoke and what he said. He was captivating. Steve Blackman looked and sounded as though he was reading a cue card. And, he really didn’t even seem to enjoy doing that.

Of course, promos are not just about talking. Often times, a lot can be said without a word being spoken.

Facial expressions can tell the story, can set the mood for the promo and let's the audience know exactly what the person is thinking. Chris Jericho was a master at this, especially as a heel.

Chris’ smirking, his cocky crooked grin, spoke volumes about his character. Once he gave that smug, overly-confident look, words were simply not needed.

Despite what is being said, or expressions that are on display, the overall element that is needed for a great promo is for the worker in question to simply be in character.

Being in character doesn’t just mean the guy shows up wearing his latest t-shirt, screaming about how much pain he’s going to inflict on his opponent. What’s important is that he or she believe in who they are as a character.

Perhaps the best example of what separates a good promo from a great promo comes from arguably the best heel to ever step into a WWE ring.

Jake "The Snake" Roberts was not only very good in the ring, he was one of the best ever on the mic. Taking the psychology of his twisted character to a whole other level, Jake Roberts stared into the camera and made fans believe he was as dangerous as he said.

There was never a moment when Jake Roberts was not turned on, and ready to go. He wasn’t acting. He was what he said he was. He made you stare into those cold eyes, and believe in every word that slithered from his wicked smile.

Steve Blackman was the absolute polar opposite. Not only could he not talk, nor had any facial expressions of any kind, he just was not there as a character. His poker face was not an act. He just did not have it.

Having said all of that, I will be the first one to say that Blackman was very good in the ring. Drawing from his martial arts background, Steve had memorable feuds against Ken Shamrock and Kurt Angle, among others. He had a great physique, and he physically fit in perfectly in the WWF’s Attitude era.

But, he simply did not have that one intangible, that one “it” factor, that sets the best in the business apart from the very average.

The bottom line is, 20 years from now, we will still be talking about promos cut by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. How many fans, today, even remember Steve Blackman?

Be sure to check out David Conrad's take.